


Riding to the sunset... with a bag full of cookies

by Elica



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Christmas fic, M/M, Road Trip, Single dad Derek, Sterek Secret Santa 2014
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 11:32:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2849417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elica/pseuds/Elica
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek and his son travel back to Beacon Hills for Christmas. In their bus, they meet Stiles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Riding to the sunset... with a bag full of cookies

**Author's Note:**

> Done for the Sterek Secret Santa 2014 :)  
> You can find me on tumblr: http://cyrilcyrielle.tumblr.com/

“OK, pumpkin. Let see if we got all we need.”

Derek crouched down, smiling tiredly as Thomas opened his backpack. His son's little voice began listing all the stuff he had put in there just two hours ago: “my photo book for Aunt Laura and Uncle William, my drawings for grandpa and grandma, my book, a bottle of orange juice, my lunch box, a notebook and crayons, Peter the Rabbit and Marilou.”

“Marilou, Thomas? We said you could only take one of your cuddly toys, didn't we?”

Marilou was a bright pink and orange owl that Thomas -meaning Derek and uncle Boyd- won at the funfair just four months ago. Thomas just smiled shyly at his dad, in a way that made Derek think of his mother. It was a painful thought, since Thomas' mother was all but shy and cute and gentle, but still... she had had her moments, and Thomas' smile was one of them.

“Marilou is for me. You said I could have one toy for me, so I just have one!”

“So why is Peter in there?”

Peter was the birth present for Thomas. Offered by no one else than Peter Hale, Thomas great uncle, a toy that cost like one hundred bucks and has been place on a shelf for the majority of Thomas' early years, until the boy ordered the rabbit to sleep with him. It never left his side since then, even staying hidden in his backpack the two first years of preschool.

“Peter is for Lilly.”

Derek's heart broke a little, though he would never admit that.

“But Peter is your favorite toy...”

“Yeah and he protected me! He's a superhero. And you told me that Lilly was sick so she can have him.”

“Ok. So, what about a hot cocoa before we take the bus?”

Thomas' smile widened and he quickly close his bag. Derek had one of his own, with Thomas' blanket, two warm sweaters, one for him and one for Thomas, a first aid kit and anything that could be useful during their eleven hours' trip.

They were going back to Beacon Hills for Christmas. But since Thomas was deadly afraid of planes, and that Derek would never miss a man-to-man -or man-to-boy- experience, they chose to take the bus.

Christmas was the only holiday Derek have been able to afford, and all thanks to Boyd, who agreed to continue working during the week. So it was also the first time that they would meet Laura's little girl Lilly. The baby was just three months old and had a bad case of sickness. Endless sicknesses since her birth and her parents were exhausted. They weren't dangerous: a flu, a small fever, digestive problems. They were just... endless. Derek was lucky with Thomas. The boy had been extremely quiet for years, but his health was quite perfect.

The bus station was located near a little dinner. Thomas had already had his burger and salt-free fries for dinner there. They bought one cocoa and one coffee from the young student girl working there and got out.

The sun was already down on the sky, announcing the night. Street lamps began to light up and they could still hear the noise of the traffic behind the trees and gates separating the bus station from the highway.

One bus entered the car park as they drank their beverages.

“Is it ours?” asked Thomas.

Derek squinted his eyes, reading the sign on the vehicle.

“No. This one comes from Texas, Houston. I think it's going to rest here for a little while.”

“How far is Houston?”

The passengers got out of the bus, in different states of tiredness. A travel between Houston and Phoenix was a long one.

“I think it's fifteen or sixteen hours. I did it once with your aunt Cora, when she finished university. She wanted to travel the States by car and my parents would never agree to let her do it alone. So I went with her.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! Grandpa took me to Fresno and from there I rent a car to Los Angeles, where Cora was studying. We drove from there to Las Vegas, then Phoenix where I met Boyd, then to Texas, Louisiana and Florida. At the time, Cora was fed of traveling with me and she decided to take the plane back to California. I think she missed her girlfriend too much...”

“Manuela?”

“No. I don't remember her name then. Cora met Manuela during one of her trip in Brasilia. You know, I show you the photo. I think they'll be here for Christmas though.”

Thomas pondered for some minutes. Derek looked at the new passengers. Some were leaving with families or taking a cab. Three or four stayed near the station. They may have to take another bus for an even farther destination. One of them, a young man that seemed to have lost any knowledge of sleep, judging by his very dark rings and his general spazz movements, approached the dinner. And then stopped in front of Derek.

“Excuse me.”

His voice was deep in hollow tiredness too.

“Do you know if their toilets are any good here? I won't put another feet in any stinking highway's toilets ever.”

“They're good. And the coffee is good too.”

“Thank God! And thank you, dude!”

_Don't call me dude_ , thought Derek. But the guy was already in the dinner, flirting with the waitress, letting his two backpacks near the counter and disappearing in the back.

“What did you do when Cora took the plane?”

Derek's attention came back to Thomas.

“I continued to travel. I didn't have a job at the time. I wanted to have my own business, like grandma, but I didn't know how. I felt... like you when you think you can't manage a grown person duty, tough you really can.”

“Like doing the dishes?”

“Like that yes. So I left Florida and came up all the way to New York.”

“Where my mother is living.”

“You already know the story, pumpkin. Do you want to go to New York? I think that we could take the train. Or a car, like I did this one time.”

Thomas sighed: “I don't know. Would I have to meet with my mother?”

“If you want. It's all up to you, pumpkin. But I could show you the apartment where I lived or the bar where I worked. And the shelter just round the corner. I thought I'll have one or two dogs once.”

“Why didn't you?”

“Two dogs wouldn't be happy in our apartment. They'll need a real house.”

With any other kid, Derek would have face a tantrum. He had seen it with little kids crying and shouting every time they wouldn't get what they wanted. But Thomas was still a quiet kid, always thinking before talking. At time like these, he looked so much like Derek when he was young or, better, like his grandpa.

 

***

 

They managed to get a double seat at the front of the bus. Derek took the time to put Thomas in place cosily. The boy was wearing warm training trousers and his sweater. He was wrapped in his blanket, definitely not sleeping but calm enough to not fidget through the departure of the bus.

“Can I sit here?”

Derek raised his head. The boy from earlier was standing in the aisle, near them. He was pointing to the seat across the aisle.

“Why couldn't you?”

“I... I tend to speak a little and I'm so tired I could get easily on your nerves and I sit on the front because I don't want to be sick. All risks are on you. Your choice.”

Derek hold a smirk. Thomas was slowly pushing him so he could put his head on his laps. Like he wouldn't notice that.

“It would change from the ladies that like to flirt with me. You don't attend to flirt with me, do you?”

A light and cute shade of red appeared on the guy's cheek. Then he laughed weakly: “It would be a pleasure, but I'm far too tired for this.”

For the next five minutes, the guy made himself at home on his own seat. He had a blanket and a pillow. He put on the tablet a DVD reader, a paper cup full of coffee and a pack of little cakes.

“What are you watching?”

And he thought that Thomas was ready to sleep. Sweet dreams... His son, like the little human worm he was, was swimming through his laps to look at the guy's DVD reader.

“I was thinking between a very adult movie you really shouldn't know about, and 'Finding Nemo'.”

Oh God. Thomas was not on his 'Fish and Turtles'' phase. But it could change quickly.

“Really? 'Just keep swimming, just keep swimming'!”

“You know,” said the guy. “I really can't talk about the magnificence of 'Finding Nemo' with a boy I don't know.”

Thomas jumped on the occasion. One hand get out of the blanket and went to the guy: “Thomas Peter Alexander Hale. I'm six years old and I live in Phoenix. And this is my father, Derek.”

Some kind of realization seemed to pass on the guy's face, much to Derek's surprise. He shook hands with Thomas: “With such a complete presentation, I should do it right: Grzegorz Stiles Stilinski. I'm twenty-six years old and I live in New Orleans, Louisiana.”

“Grrrego...”

“Just call me Stiles.”

“He's the Sheriff's son, pumpkin. You remember him from the last time we went to see your grand-parents? Laura works with him.”

But Thomas shook his head. He was too young at the time to remember. But now the face Stiles made when the boy told their name was making sense. Derek had been four years ahead of Stiles at school, but his mother had been working with Claudia Stilinski for years, as the main librarian of the city and Mrs Stilinski being a well loved teacher. They even once organized a play in the library. Derek remembered Cora and Stiles, aged three at the time, had been designed as the 'angels' of the play, and it all led to a very memorable catastrophe.

Now Derek only knew that the sheriff was thinking of retiring, as Laura updated him on Beacon Hills on regular notice. Less since her sixth month of pregnancy, as she had to stay at home. She told him though how she missed her job as a deputy.

“Can I see the movie?”

“Thomas!” warned Derek, even if he was quite surprised that his son has warmed up so fast with a stranger.

“Nah, it's good,” answered Stiles. “If you agree, I can lend him my DVD reader. I must admit I'm sick of movies.”

Thomas beamed but Derek made him stay put when the bus began moving.

“Wait till we're out of Phoenix. Then you can ask again, ok?”

 

***

 

Thomas was entranced by the movie. Stiles let him browse through his different CDs (“it's not stealing, Derek, I own the DVDs, but I can put four movies in one CD, it's easier!”), only the children approved, then Thomas decided he rather watched a new one than 'Finding Nemo'. So he was watching 'Totoro'. Stiles Batman headphones were making cute overgrown cyber ears on his little head, and he was sucking his fingers. He was so cute that Derek really couldn't tell him that 'sucking your fingers will make your teeth go wild, look at Matt's braces'.

His son cuddling at his side, Derek turned to Stiles.

“Thank you. I can avoid having to read him his book aloud thanks to this movie.”

“Always a pleasure to help”, Stiles smirked.

“You made all the travel by bus since New Orleans?”

“Nah, one of my flatmate was going back to Texas for Christmas so he took me by car. But frankly, the travel between Houston and here was hell too long. And you? Living in Houston?”

Derek took one of the cookies Stiles gave him, hoping Thomas wouldn't see it. Eating sugar and cakes that late in the evening was a big no-no in his house.

“I met a great guy there, when traveling. We decided to create our own business. We're making signboards for shops and stuff.”

“Really? I thought you had a more artistic formation. Not that making boards is not...”

“Vintage signboards. Boyd is a metallurgist and I design stuff with his wife, Erica Reyes.”

“Oh my god! Reyes? Like Beacon Hills Reyes? I went to my prom night with her! I'm so happy to have some news! How is she?”

And they exchanged news and stuff for three hours straight. At one point, Thomas asked for a cookie and a second movie, and ended sleeping on Derek's laps in the middle of a weird French movie called Kirikou. He will have to buy it somewhere because it looked fantastic.

So Stiles was delighted to learn that Erica had married a very serious and gentle man called Boyd, and that she was pregnant (“she was afraid because of her seizures but her last treatment had worked for four years so they did it”) “Boy'Hale” was a young but very promising business and they had three apprentices and two old craftpeople in their staff (“they had hard time to get a job with the crisis, and their work are fantastic; I'm ashamed when I present my own design”) Derek didn't give any information on Thomas' mother.

He learned Stiles was working in a small cartoon company in Louisiana but was more and more tempted to quit.

“New Orleans is so far away. And working for an independent company is great but I can't even pay a plane's tickets to go see my father and my goddaughters!”

“You met us,” said Derek, in a rare direct and conscious flirting. He was awarded by a new redness on Stiles' cheeks.

“I want to make children's books. My friend Allison, the mother of my goddaughters, and Kira, a good friend, have a little publishing company and they seemed quite interested in my art so... Why not give it a try? I could stay at ma father for six months, see if it leads me somewhere, and look for a real job in California. Or in Arizona.”

Again the flush on his cheeks.

“It seems like a good idea.”

 

***

 

His mother would be delighted to babysit Thomas for one evening. So when Stiles gave him his number, in the small chilling morning of Beacon Hills, North California, ten hours later, Derek smiled.

A date was the really last thing he would have thought of getting when buying the bus tickets one month ago.

 

 


End file.
